Recent News

AUGUST

"Roadtrip" plays at UH Hilo's ‘IMILOA Astronomy Center

Jon's "Roadtrip" heads for UH Hilo's ‘IMILOA in an August 31, 2013 program presented by Ebb & Flow Arts as part of the ongoing
“Music of the Spheres” program – avant garde electronic music with
in-house effects and full dome films.

Thanks
to a grant from the Kosasa Foundation, "Paka‘a Lanakila" will be
recorded and edited in English as well as in Hawaiian. More on that in
the coming months...

APRIL

New arrangement of Lili‘uokalani's "Imi au ia ‘oe e ke aloha"

Jon leads the performance of his SAB arrangement for the newly-formed UH West O‘ahu University Chorus at the Kapolei Choral Festival.

"Roadtrip" premieres at Paliku Arts Festival

On
a commission from Ebb and Flow Arts, Jon composes "Roadtrip" and
collaborates with Joseph Ciotti (computer-generated visuals) for the
premiere at the Paliku Arts Festival on the campus of Windward
Community College. The work is presented by Ebb & Flow
Arts as part of the ongoing “Music of the Spheres” program: avant garde
electronic music with in-house effects and full dome films.

Flutist
Zoe Goode joins the Spring Wind Quintet and Jon for the neighbor island
performance. Mahalo to sponsors University of Hawaii at Manoa
Outreach College, Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, The
National Endowment for the Arts, the Hawaii Friends of the Library and
Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels (Ko‘ele Lodge).

Funded
generously by the Honolulu Mayor's Office on Culture and the Arts, Jon
again collaborates as narrator with Chamber Music Hawaii's
Spring Wind Quintet on his newly completed wind-themed work for
narrator, flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon (with an appearance
of Hawaiian ka`eke`eke and pu instruments).

Jon composed Paka`a Lanakila! for audiences young and young-at-heart, based on the Kaua`i story of Paka`a (retold by Frederick B. Wichman in his "Polihale and other Kaua`i Legends" [Bamboo Ridge Press]).
The piece tells the story of a young boy who faces adversity and
ultimately triumphs, and it resonates with themes of love, respect,
courage, rejection, acceptance, family, and community.

APRIL/MAY

Jon conducts Limón Performances in Culiacán and Mazatlán, Mexico

Once again collaborating with the amazing Limón Dance Company, Jon travels to Sinaloa (Mexico) to conduct the Orquesta Sinfónica Sinaloa de las Artes in
Culiacán and Mazatlán, performing the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos and
Norman Dello Joio. Wonderful music, old friends, new
friends... it doesn't get better!

FEBRUARY

UH Manoa Dance Program dances to Fantasy for Violin and Synthesizers

Choreographer Amy Schiffner
creates a terrific new piece entitled "Greyscale" based on Jon's "Fantasy
for Violin and Synthesizers" from long ago (college days). Cool lighting with CFL lightbulbs, wonderful
dancing, and smart choreography. Five performances over 2 weekends.

On
October 24 at Paliku Theatre, Esther Yoo (director, Honolulu Symphony
Chorus and Honolulu Chamber Choir) and pianists Thomas Yee and Grant
Mack premiere BUMP!, a 17-min. Halloween-themed work for chorus and piano four-hands. (Yes,
that's right -- from "things that go BUMP in the night.")
Kudos to choreographer Amy Schiffner (UH Mänoa faculty), lighting
designer Lloyd Rifod, and the terrific dancers from the UH Manoa dance
department for creating a very mysterious and hallowed eve atmosphere.
Thanks to the Honolulu Mayor's Office on Culture and the Arts for
generously supporting the commission and performance.

Commissioned with generous funding from the Honolulu Mayor's Office on Culture and the Arts, the terrific Spring Wind ensemble
from Chamber Music Hawaii (Marsha Schweitzer, basson; Jonathan Parrish,
horn; James Moffitt, clarinet; with guests Claire Butin, flute;
Brad Shimizu, oboe; and yours truly as narrator) premieres part one of Päka`a: Lanakila!
at Paliku Theatre on Oct. 4 and at the Honolulu Academy of Arts
on Oct. 10. The work, for wind quintet and narrator, tells the
story of young Päka`a,
who lives in the cliffs of Ke-ahi-ahi on the island of Kaua`i, and who
outwits the local fishermen in a canoe race against all odds.
(Watch for the conclusion during next season's 30th
anniversary of Chamber Music Hawaii!)

Thanks to a generous American Composers Forum ENCORE program award, "America's favorite string band" performs Outta This World at
the Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge (also supported in part by a grant from
WESTAF). Then, a few weeks later, they land in St. Petersburg for
a Russian concert tour supported by CEC ArtsLink, which includes performances in St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Kaliningrad and Moscow. Here's a fun blog of their Russian debut.

MAY

ETHEL rocks in new 'unplugged' version of Outta This World

ETHEL
(Cornelius Dufallo and Mary Rowell, violins; Ralph Farris, viola;
Dorothy Lawson, 'cello) premiered the unplugged version of Outta This World on May 13 at the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert
in LaGuardia Performing Arts Center... what seriously
awesome performers! Jon led the pre-performance audience
interaction/improvisation with a great assist from those intrepid ETHEL
specialists. Fun, fun, fun...

APRIL

Hawaii Youth Symphony premieres KE AO

Commissioned by the HYS in celebration of the HYS' 45th and Maestro Henry Miyamura's 25th anniversary with the HYS, KE AO
was premiered at Blaisdell Concert Hall on April 11 by the HYS,
Honolulu Symphony Chorus (Esther Yoo, dir.) and ho`opa`a chanters from
Halau Hula Ka No`eau (Michael Pili Pang, kumu hula) -- a terrific first
performance. Bravi, tutti!!! See the following HYS Facebook
photo links: Pic 1Pic 2

MARCH

Meet The Composer's MetLife Creative Connections program award

Thanks to a generous Meet The Composer award, Jon will participate in ETHEL Foundation for the Arts' presentation of Outta This World on May 13 at the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert in LaGuardia Performing Arts Center.

2010

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2009

MAY

American Composers Forum ENCORE program award

Thanks to a generous award from ACF's ENCORE program, ETHEL will perform Jon's first string quartet (it's been 11 years since Outta This World's premiere!). ETHEL will be performing the "unplugged" version in May.

Honolulu Symphony Chorus performs Psalm 23

The Honolulu Symphony Chorus, directed by Esther Yoo, presented Psalm 23 for SATB chorus and organ,
at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Honolulu, with John Renke at the organ.

The
Symphony Chorus joined with the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus to present "A
Festival of Psalms", which featured the Honolulu Chamber Choir's
premiere of Psalm 23 for SATB
chorus and organ at Kawaiaha'o Church on November 25, with Buddy Naluai
at the organ and conducted by HSC artistic director Esther Yoo.

AUGUST

PBS Hawai`i premieres State of Aloha documentary

Jon contributed some original music for this TV version of State of Aloha which premiered on PBS Hawai`i on August 27.
Directed by Anne Misawa of the Academy for Creative Media (University
of Hawai`i at Manoa), the feature-length version will show at the Hawai`i International Film Fest (October).